Effects of diet factors on larval development and survival of cat fleas, Ctenocephalides felis (Bouche) (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae)

• Main Authors: Hsu, Ya-Chun, 徐雅均
• Other Authors: Wu, Wen-Jer
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2000
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/20293590329567009725

碩士 === 國立臺灣大學 === 昆蟲學研究所 === 88 === Insect-rearing technology is important to virtually every aspect of entomological research. Mass production of flea colony in laboratory is required for tests of insecticides and further biological researches. To provide consistently good quality and stable condition of the cat fleas’ colony (Ctenocephalides felis (Bouché)), the diet of larval fleas must be convenient and nutrient-rich. This study focused on the feeding habit of the larval fleas and used various blood-containing foods to be the substitution for the blood feces. The experiments were conducted at 27℃, 75% RH and a photoperiod of 0 : 24 (L : D) hr. Feeding with natural food, female and male cat fleas spent 17 and 19 days from eggs to adults, respectively. The fleas were reared individually to record the duration of their development from eggs to adults, measured the adult body size of both sexes, and calculated emergence rate. Feeding with large grains of blood powder (diameter > 0.5 mm) was unfavorable to larval development, therefore, screening the powder with a No. 35 standard strainer before conducting subsequent experiments is required. In terms of larval development, the porcine blood curd powder was better than duck blood curd powder, pork blood cake powder, and fresh pork blood powder. When adding NaCl and sodium citrate as anticoagulant into fresh pork blood to produce the diet for larval fleas, the developmental time or survival of larvae were close to these of porcine blood curd. The larval fleas displayed the best results when fed with the blood powder that was dried in a 50-70℃ oven. However, the duration of larval development delayed 1-2 days when fed with blood powder that was dried in a oven which temperature was below 50℃. The body size of female fleas became smaller when fed larvae with blood powder that was heated in a 85℃ oven or dried at room temperature in a fume enclosure. The quality of the blood powder that was stored for more than 6 months at -18℃, 4℃ or room temperature was stable, and the results of larval development were not significantly different. In addition, feeding larvae with blood feces as main food with less numbers of flea eggs, the survival was high and the body size of adults were larger. On the other hand, feeding larvae with flea eggs as main food with some blood feces could shorten the duration of development for more than 2-3 days.